


Company

by likeadeuce



Category: Marvel, X-Men (Comicverse)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-07
Updated: 2010-03-07
Packaged: 2017-10-07 19:12:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/68285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/likeadeuce/pseuds/likeadeuce
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bobby Drake has been sneaking out, and Jean-Paul isn't too happy about it -- but maybe not for the reasons you'd expect.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Company

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place in the more-or-less current status quo of the X-Men living in San Francisco. It addresses some JP/Bobby related canon from back in the day that always bugged me, but doesn't require any particular canon background

Jean-Paul doesn't sleep very much -- with his metabolism he doesn't need it and honestly, what a boring way to spend 30 percent of your life. So he's up before sunrise, and planning his day when Bobby Drake activates the portal and trips into the common room at Greymalkin.

"Nice shirt," JP says.

Bobby, bleary-eyed, looks down at the tight, light-blue T-shirt. "What's wrong with my shirt?" he says warily.

"Not a thing," JP assures him, darting his tongue out just a bit in case Bobby misses the meaning. "Like the hair, too." This gets Bobby to frown and touch his newly-cut, heavily moussed coiffure. JP could pay this game all night (nice boots, nice belt, nice man-bag), but instead he decides to up the stakes. "Just getting in?" he asks. "Been on a mission?" Unless Cyclops has been sending his best lieutenants out to go undercover in the Castro, Jean-Paul doubts it.

"I -- uh -- went dancing? In the city?" Bobby's still playing with his hair.

"Oh yes? Where?" Based on the mix of extremely unimpressive colognes that he can smell wafting off of Drake's body, he'd guess some tourist hole like Badlands.

Bobby doesn't take the bait, which is as good as if he had taken the bait. "What is this?" he asks. "The French-Canadian Inquisition?" And that's more wit than JP expected out of him. But then, in his experience, having something to hide is quite the incentive to humor. Also, in his experience, people with things to hide only dig themselves into deeper holes. "I don't know what you might have heard. . ."

"Not so much heard," Jean-Paul says flatly. "As seen you from across the room, spread across some biker's lap --" Before Bobby can choke out a protest (probably something like, He wasn't a biker), JP adds, "I realize you're the X-Man nobody recognizes when you're not wearing a nametag, but you're not actually invisible."

Bobby squares his shoulders. "Why are you making this a thing? Aren't you supposed to be in a committed relationship or whatever?"

"I am. Do you think that's what this is about? Some silly crush you think I used to have on you?"

"I don't think anything. You used to tell everybody in earshot how you were pining over me. When we were on the team together." He rubbed his cheek, looking at the floor. "It was embarrassing."

"I imagine it was," Jean-Paul answers, and Bobby looks up in surprised. "I may even be sorry. I've grown up a bit, believe it or not. Apparently you've changed, too."

"You're so sure about that? You're the one who used to tell everyone about what a waste it was that I was straight. You never asked me."

"You never contradicted me either," Jean-Paul said. "And I gave you plentiful opportunities."

Bobby's face flushed. "I never thought about it that way," he admitted.

"Clearly," Jean-Paul answered. "And all these years later, you're still slinking in, feeling guilty."

"I guess that's my problem."

"Right. And being the poster boy for every queer mutant is mine."

"It's not like you mind the attention," Bobby snapped.

"That doesn't mean I never wanted company," Jean-Paul answered. And he zipped out of the room, hoping he'd given the other mutant something to think about.


End file.
